Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2022 U.S. World Championship Trials

TUESDAY NIGHT HEAT SHEET

The first members of Team USA will book their tickets to 2022 World Championships and Junior Pan Pac Championships during tonight’s finals session in Greensboro.

It will be a crowded field seeking to represent the United States in the 200 fly, with Hali Flickinger, Charlotte Hook, Emma Sticklen, Regan Smith, and Olivia Carter all posting sub-2:10s in heats this morning. On the men’s side, Trenton Julian is in a position to earn his first slot on a United States LCM senior team after posting the #3 200 fly time in the world so far this year (1:54.34) in prelims. Olympians Zach Harting and Chase Kalisz will challenge Julian.

The 100 free final will determine not only the qualifiers in the individual races, but also the makeup of the 400 free relays. Natalie Hinds was the only swimmer under 54 seconds this morning (53.77), while Claire Curzan, Torri Huske, Mallory Comerford, and Abbey Weitzeil all qualified for the final with sub 54.2s. Caeleb Dressel led the qualifiers in the men’s race with 48.12; Ryan Held, Drew Kibler, and Brooks Curry were all under 48.4.

Olympic champions Katie Ledecky (8:11.83) and Bobby Finke (14:39.65) will occupy the middle lanes in the timed finals of the 800 and 1500 freestyles, respectively. Olympians Katie Grimes and Leah Smith are the next-fastest seeds in the 800, while Charlie Clark and Will Gallant lead the rest of the field in the 1500.

Racing gets underway at 6:00 PM Eastern time.

Tuesday, April 26

Women’s 200 Meter Butterfly – Finals

• World Record: 2:01.81 – Zige Liu (2009)
• American Record: 2:04.14 – Mary Descenza (2009)
• S. Open Record: 2:05.85 – Hali Flickinger (2021)
• Jr World Record: 2:06.29 – Suzuka Hasegawa (2017)
• FINA “A” Cut: 2:09.21
• SwimSwam Preview – W200 Fly

Podium:

1. Hali Flickinger, Sun Devils – 2:06.35
2. Regan Smith, Unattached – 2:07.93
3. Charlotte Hook, TAC Titans – 2:08.80
4. Emma Sticklen, Texas – 2:08.88
5. Olivia Carter, Michigan – 2:08.90
6. Lindsay Looney, Unattached – 2:08.99
7. Rachel Klinker, Unattached – 2:10.15
8. Amanda Ray, Florida – 2:10.70

In a repeat of the outcome at last summer’s Olympic Team Trials, Hali Flickinger and Regan Smith finished in the top two slots, both likely earning berths to World Championships. Flickinger drove the pace from the outset, leading at all four walls. She was up by about a body length at the halfway point, and while Smith looked like she might make a move on the third 50, it was Flickinger all the way. She split 1:00.17-1:06.18 to win in 2:06.35, the third-fastest time in the world so far this year.

Charlotte Hook, Emma Sticklen, Olivia Carter, and Lindsay Looney finished within 1/10 of each other, all four coming to the wall under the FINA “A” standard.

Men’s 200 Meter Butterfly – Finals

• World Record: 1:50.73 – Kristof Milak (2019)
• American Record: 1:51.51 – Michael Phelps (2009)
• S. Open Record: 1:52.20 – Michael Phelps (2008)
• Jr World Record: 1:53.79 – Kristof Milak (2017)
• FINA “A” Cut: 1:56.71
• SwimSwam Preview – M200 Fly

Podium:

1. Luca Urlando, DART – 1:54.10
2. Trenton Julian, Unattached – 1:54.22
3. Zach Harting, Cardinals – 1:55.09
4. Chase Kalisz, Athens Bulldog Swim Club – 1:56.03
5. Nicolas Albiero, Louisville – 1:56.27
6. Gabriel Jett, Unattached – 1:56.58
7. Alexander Colson, Unattached – 1:56.98
8. Jace Crawford, Florida – 1:57.09

Luca Urlando snatched a seemingly sure victory away from Trenton Julian over the final 15 meters, edging him 1:54.10 to 1:54.22. Julian was out very fast, leading the field with 25.1-53.5 at the 50 and 100 walls. He led with 1:22.9 at the 150 and turned for home with a body-length lead. Urlando came home in 30.28 over the fourth 50, outsplitting Julian by .96 (31.24), and got the win by .12.

2020 Olympian Zach Harting, who won this event at Trials with 1:55.06, was third in 1:55.09. Chase Kalisz, Nic Albiero, and Gabriel Jett also made the FINA “A” cut with their 3rd through 6th-place finishes.

Women’s 100 Meter Freestyle – Finals

• World Record: 51.71 – Sarah Sjostrom (2017)
• American Record: 52.04 – Simone Manuel (2019)
• S. Open Record: 52.54 – Simone Manuel (2018)
• Jr World Record: 52.70 – Penny Oleksiak (2016)
• FINA “A” Cut: 54.25
• SwimSwam Preview – W100 Free

Podium:

1. Torri Huske, Unattached – 53.35
2. Claire Curzan, TAC Titans – 53.58
3. Erika Brown, Tennessee Aquatics – 53.59
4. Natalie Hinds, Unattached – 53.65
5. Kate Douglass, Virginia – 53.99
6. Mallory Comerford, Cardinal Aquatics – 54.09
7. Abbey Weitzeil, Cal – 54.41
8. Olivia Smoliga, Sun Devils – 54.55

It’s a changing of the guard in the women’s 100 free, with Torri Huske and Claire Curzan edging the veterans at the top of the…